arturcii

[arturcii]

"peace -- i'm just here to pass on a message. -- or, i suppose a lack thereof. i'm afraid you've been replaced by you-know-who." already the magic of a substance whistled through his veins to the edges of his nerves, dulling them against the sharp taste of alcohol assaulting every sense. "my advice? steer clear of monaco for a little bit. don't want you being disappointed." @niklausses

#event:itlcoronation #with:niklausses

[arturcii]

well, well -- maybe the duke wasn't useless beyond his scandals, after all. in truth, art had stopped paying attention to these connections: an oversight, on his part. "how fortuitous, then. i'd love to pick your mind about it. i hope you're not too busy with... other commitments. the child must've been a surprise." of course, he didn't even sound even half interested about the consequences of daisuke's romance, planned or not. still, he could fake a smile well enough as any other politician, even those who fell short of a picnic. "think of this as more of a partnership than an investment on your part. i'm not in the business of making unilateral arrangements."

daisuke watched him closely. he seemed like a smug bastard (literally), and he couldn't tell if he was the sort of smug daisuke liked or not. "i like to keep up with the people in the program. always looking for good investments. i'm a businessman, after all." he raised an eyebrow. "are you really? well, it's one of the best in the world. i'm sure i can offer assistance. i helped expand the train line in wakayama. the strength of our train system is, of course, the speed."

#event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

"well, i'm dying of boredom. maybe we should encourage a fight? a war? it would be so f--," almost as soon as he said this, there erupted a kerfuffle. he turned when he heard it and, lo and behold, one's wishes do indeed come true. "what's that about?" he asked, sipping his drink as if he was asking about a sudden turn in the weather.

"It's still early. We could very well be walking into the well dressed gallows to see something hang. If he's not dying of boredom, he should be happier than a hog in shit."

#event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

he sat anyway without relaxing, back straight and brow arched in a question. "i -- thank you...?" he wasn't sure if that was some secret code to poison him, but he doubted mild annoyance was enough to get him on arnauld's kill list, if that existed. he was convinced it did. all that warmongering must have filled it up. if anything, he felt his back straighten even more stiffly at the mention of his current affairs. "no, i -- everything's proceeding surprisingly smoothly. the railway project is going well -- owned by us, too, not by private companies, so it'll generate a hefty profit once it's been completed. plus... all the other things. family things, but nothing i can't keep in order. wouldn't be much of a future ruler otherwise." he paused. a finger tapped on the base of the wine glass, before he picked it up. "i didn't think you'd be interested." hesitantly, he took the briefest sip. if there was poison in it, he wouldn't have known. it really was exquisite. "you with your... loftier ambitions with europe -- i hate to say it's almost admirable."

there was a moment when he was unsure if arthur would oblige. walking right past arnauld would have been the easiest thing to do ! he nodded as a greeting when arthur sat down. his smile was genuine; he was pleased. " try not to upset me, " arnauld advised as he relaxed in his seat. " oh you don't want this, " he replied with a laugh as he swirled the clear liquid in his crystal glass. " it's just plain carbonated water. not much of an experience. " the idea of scotch was uninspiring but one glass of something better, something that could be considered an indulgence couldn't hurt. " we can order wine. they're serving chianti. hopefully the better kind. " his hand gesture quickly enough brought a waiter to their table and arnauld gave their order. it was possible he was making the first mistake of the evening. " nothing in particular. " he just hadn't been entertained. " a considerable amount of time has passed since our previous conversation. " blue eyes studied the younger man's face. he was mildly pleased to note that some of arthur's original sharpness was present once again. " are you closer to reaching your goals ? or are you currently in the phase where you're destroying your work before fixing it ? " arnauld's index fingers moved along an imaginary line, a symbol for the prince's timeline.

#event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

"i didn't think you'd be the type to care whether i have a date or not." without thinking, he put his hand over hers; he was raised on good manners and tight strings, after all, and the puppetry of good will was an easy one to master. "i would assume that you had one, though. illegality isn't a deal breaker for your prospects, is it?" he asked, smiling only ever slightly and, peering through the rows of coats and such, found nary a soul to keep them company. there was a small side table right next to an ill-used couch, probably meant for overworked staff, and he parked himself next to it as he waited for her to draw the lines for them. he even offered a hand to free her from her gloves. "well... yes, i suppose. neither do i. i suppose you've established this image for yourself. certainly surprised me in a good way when i got to know you." he waited for her, motioned with a palm for her to go ahead first. his tone changed little; it was still matter-of-fact, still blank, as if all he said was fact and not embellished with a few flattering lies here and there. "you're more fun when you let go of all that, you know. besides, i don't understand why you still care. if it's about marriage prospects, i'm supposing that people are falling over themselves to be first in line -- if you know what i mean -- regardless of what you do."

She blinked once, twice... It was these precise moments that made Arthur so difficult for her to explain. He was offering her a generous serving of empathy and no one would believe her if she told them about it. "That's- thank you. That's kind, you're being kind." She even managed to flash her two rows of white teeth to him before wrapping her arm around his and partly clinging to him. How odd it was to feel the warmth of acceptance because of Arthur of all people. Was it more telling of her current social standing or his character? The one that she so harshly judged most of the time? She was dragging him down with her tonight and she still somehow felt like he was the one more at fault. Her ability to be hypocritical was astonishing. Now that she had learnt to notice it, its omnipresence was clear to her. "You have to tell me now if I'm stealing you from a date or something along those lines. I'm trying very hard not to find myself in an awkward situation." She paused for a fraction of a second. "This one small case of illegality doesn't count." She closed the door quickly behind them, locking it right after. "Have you ever thought about how with some people no one bats an eye if they do this? It's a bit unfair, isn't it? Take... Dominique for an example or Silje. Is it because they don't hide it?" Fanni wondered aloud as she took off her opera gloves. Her very black opera gloves that matched her very black dress. Hopefully by now she had learnt how to do things tidily. She stood there waiting for him to prepare the lines for them. She stood there for a long minute before realizing that this time it was her job. She had the product. Slightly hurriedly she formed the lines on the cleanest surface she was able to find. "If it's not too impolite to go first...?" Did basic etiquette rules apply in situations as seedy as theirs? Fanni decided no.

#event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

he wished he was deaf. at one point in his life, he would've been elated to have his name called with such casual disregard for the differences between them. "try not to break anything of mine, this time." the substances he'd taken mellowed out the odd, bittersweet feeling somewhat, and he obeyed begrudgingly, as if a child called after his father had struck him. "i was going to say scotch, but i think i've a hankering for something milder. i'll have whatever you're having. what's this about?"

" arthur. " arnauld's demanding voice had no trouble reaching across the lounge. " sit down for a drink. " he gestured towards the seat opposite from his own. " what are you drinking tonight ? " [ ;; @arturcii ]

#with:vrnvuld #event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

all of it was in her head. she outshone everyone in the room, and the only one who couldn't see it was her. but he was past the point of flattering someone who would not listen, and he would not entertain the thought of showering her with praises when it was clear the effort would be wasted. "no, no -- yeah, i'll join you. don't be alone when you're feeling like this." he knew too well how it felt; how tempting it would be to take more to fill in the void that devoured everything. he offered his arm to her gently, and motioned his head towards the direction of the coat room. "come with me, love."

She blinked at him, taken aback by the statement. She couldn't tell if he was being careless as per usual or purposefully trying to offend her. Her cheeks reddened further because he wasn't completely wrong, and he wasn't the first to make such statement. "Yes, well..." She stole a glance past him in order to return her smile back on her face. It looked artificial but she could meet his eyes again. "The feeling's still there, I know it's... I know part of it is just in my head but it doesn't go away easily." She cleared her throat. She double checked the clasp on her purse. "I won't, I can return the rest too? If you won't– if you don't feel like joining me." She could feel the small bag burning inside of her purse. "I'm sorry. Forget that. I don't want to encourage you." While he was the one who had come prepared, it was possible he was the one of the two of them who was doing better. Who had self-control. Who had a strong sense of self worth. Whose mood did not crumble due to a poor interaction.

#event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

"delightful." not many were pleased to meet art in person, but at the same time, he didn't make a habit of asking many people their opinion of him. those who made their displeasure obvious probably knew him better than any old duke from nowhere. "i do -- i'm surprised you know about it." it pleased him, more like. "my grandfather's been very supportive. i've actually been quite intrigued by the japanese train system. i don't suppose you have any insight to share about your train fleet?"

"well, that does seem to be what they're good at." he glanced at the prince. he knew the man well enough by reputation. the shuffle from england to mexico was interesting. he wondered how he manged it. daisuke shook the man's hand, "no, i don't believe so, your highness. it's a pleasure to meet you. minamoto daisuke, duke of kansai." in exile he did not feel the need to add. he didn't react to the question, just kept his expression even. "she's doing better. thank you for asking. how is..." well, the girl he left at the alter, "i hear you had a new project."

#event:itlcoronation #just two dudes talking about trains #what could go wrong

[arturcii]

"huh. incredibly disappointing for the italians. i was half-convinced they'd bring public executions back, or something to that effect. i assume gio's having a right old time?"

"I haven't seen the man of the hour emerge just yet. You missed the usual pandering but nothing special."

#event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

"you should see someone about that," he advised without thinking, yet still fully aware of the irony of the statement. "that you think you bore people is not true. right now, you're being wildly amusing," he offered as a band-aid to his own hypocrisy. still, he kept an eye on what she took out of concern. "just don't take all of it all at once, alright? best to share the joy with other people."

"If coffee was the solution, I'd be a very happy person." She shot him a dry look that vanished quickly as she ran out of motivation to banter. "It's just that feeling that comes so suddenly. One minute I'm having a good time and then I'm—" She paused to take a deep breath to calm herself. "Then I'm incredibly aware of the fact that I can't hold a conversation longer than five minutes. I bore people or they just do not like me." She had fought the feeling for the better part of the hour to no avail. She quickly tried to spot the correct product and slipped it into her purse. "Just a small pick-me-up," she assured him, cheeks redding. "You're right, I should buy you something nice. This isn't exactly a quid pro quo anymore."

#event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

"then i came at the wrong time. perhaps it's best if i return when the italians fall short on their security measures --," he realised, then, who he'd been talking to -- a man he'd not had the pleasure of meeting, but heard plenty enough about to know the basics. he wasn't blind on social media, after all. "i don't think we've been properly introduced, sir." he held his hand out in greeting. "in all the time you've been here, it's a shame we haven't met sooner. how's hafiz, after the... ah..." bastard child-- "after everything?"

"just some no-name duke. i'm sure they're saving the best for last. the way everyone is talking, i keep thinking this is going to get interesting soon."

#with:dvisckc #event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

"huh? oh, sure --," he should learn to say no. maybe that would be better for both of them, and maybe then he'd stop carrying excuses in his pocket. "riiiiight. have you tried coffee? doesn't work for me anymore, personally." instead, he slipped the cool, metal case onto his palm, and flicked it open for her to choose her poison of choice, stored in the tiniest of ziploc bags, folded in neat squares, betraying nothing of the fires he was attempting to put out. at the very least, if everything imploded, he could just become a pharmacist. "you can go for the usual or perhaps a stronger one...? i should really start charging you for this."

"Oh, Arthur!" Her hand stopped him from slipping past her. Her hand easily slid down the smooth fabric of his suit. "Can I bother you for a moment? I..." She would have thought that by the nth time, asking for the same thing had become easy. "I don't want to feel this drained and tired right now." Her eyes locked with his in an attempt to ensure that he understood her. ( @arturcii )

#event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

"better late than never, i suppose. i didn't miss any grand speeches, did i?"

#hshqstarter #event:itlcoronation

[arturcii]

roxanadclcon​:

“and you’re just as much of a bastard. not that i ever had hopes for your recovery.” she tilted her head, serpentine. “he’s well. i’d say well enough to rule a while long.” she pouted at him, mocking. “it is, isn’t it? you been such a good little boy and you still only got your title on a technicality.” if you want to call the mysterious death of their cousin a technicality. 

“now that’s dangerous talk, roxana. you shouldn’t call the death of precious family members a technicality.” there wasn’t any heart in the admonishment at all. “speaking of which, i assume you know about my plans to connect mexico? it’s really going to be sensational -- of course, i’ve got full permission to complete the project, no matter the cost. consider this a... warning.” don’t stand in my way, brat. “don’t do anything to disrupt it -- it’s what grandmother would have wanted, you know.”

#with:roxanadclcon

[arturcii]

buying gifts for children was not something he was good at. what did kids like, anyway? superheroes? music? he could barely remember his own. being a child of the program seemed like the closest they could get to normalcy without actually going out into the world and finding out their parents were horrible people who fucked it up to begin with.

nevertheless, coming to a meeting with a figurine of spiderman was perhaps something a child would enjoy. it wasn't a choking hazard, at least. when he rang the doorbell, it was a sign of making good, being civil, even though his assistant clearly struggled to hold it up while also carrying a bag full of files on his shoulder. business was business, after all. "i figured i'd keep the little guy occupied with a gift while we spoke, if that's alright with you," he explained as a greeting, though he hoped it'd be taken as a single reason, not an option. "i assume you have samples of the books here with you?" @anamariaabolivar

#with:anamariaabolivar

[arturcii]

ticixno​:

“Over indulgence. I know it’s an English thing to take on too many pleasures all at once. I wouldn’t want you to be unable to finish what you started.” Do us all a favor, Junior, and follow daddy to the crypt.  “Dear cousin, you know intimately just how unruly the Europeans monarchs could be. You should always hold a wolf by the ears when there’s something at stake. Especially with all this talk about illegitimate children and the unwanted coming back for their licks. It’s a real shame when tainted blood grabs hold of a crown. They think they are have a place at the table but everyone knows they’re just an outsider.” Ticiano swallowed back the indignant fury that ignited in the back of his throat and chose to smile brighter. “I think I’ve settled nicely into my new place here in the program. I hope you don’t get too comfortable in yours because we never know where we’ll move on.”

these were small digs, by the grand scheme of things. ticiano was nothing but a blip on the map -- someone whose mother was married off and would stay only having claim to a singular throne, if arthur had any say about it. “right, of course ... if i’m anything to go by, it should be as a warning for people to stay well within their birthright. mexico isn’t your table to sit at the head of, either, if i can recall? the last time all of us were there, i remember you being a little farther away than i was.” the long table, populated by their family on days his grandfather dictated, was as much a battleground as europe. he found no difference, only that they often were too afraid to wield anything other than sharp quips and sideways glances. he remembered those well enough. “far be it from me to be comfortable here, cousin. if my time here has taught me anything, it’s that the program is meant to keep the world safe from us, not the other way around. your sister certainly should be kept away from grandfather’s poor nerves, if she keeps doing whatever it is she pleases.”

#with:ticixno

[arturcii]

roxanadclcon​:

“oh yes,” faux sweetness not meant to soften any blow, “your father must be so proud.” she clasped her hands behind her back. “fine. back to family dinners. he mentioned how unfortunate it was that ticiano couldn’t be there.”

he could not train his face enough not to glare at her. “wow, you are... as delightful as the last time we saw each other.” he needed a smoke. a drink. something to ease the bitterness that clawed at the back of his throat. “it’s good to hear he’s well enough to consider his second-favourite grandchild. you didn’t give him too much trouble again, did you? it’s unfortunate that he spoils even the most precocious of brats in the family.”

#with:roxanadclcon